Yeah, there's two vegan bakeries here in town, both are gluten-free as well. One is freaking delicious and all vegan (the owners are ethical vegans), and the other place's stuff is absolutely inedible. I mean, completely and totally disgusting. Also, they have a sandwich bar in their storefront and they serve meat sandwiches, but they advertise as being vegan...

_________________Did you notice the slight feeling of panic at the words "Chicken Basin Street"? Like someone was walking over your grave? Try not to remember. We must never remember. - mumblesIs this about devilberries and nazifruit again? - footface

i bought some pasta sauce from Kroger (normally i always make it myself, but i needed to save time this week)-- roasted red pepper and garlic-- and opened it today, tasted it, thought, "that's a funny flavor!", checked the ingredients, "romano cheese." omg! i NEVER do that! maybe my neighbors will eat it.

i was stoked when a bakery opened right up the street that i knew would have vegan options. it was a family-run place, and i like to support neighborhood businesses when i can, and i really, really wanted to get behind them . . . but the vegan stuff was so terrible. dry and hard, like other people have experienced, and i think they might have used granulated sugar in the cupcake frosting, because it was fluffy, but also gritty. maybe that's a plus for some people? crunchy frosting? they made one vegan muffin, cranberry-something, that should have been delicious but which made me feel like i was noshing on a slightly moistened paper towel. i mean, i am a person who has never said no to cake, but i threw their stuff away. i don't know whether it was just their vegan stuff or a problem with their products in general--the sign is still up there, but i think they shut down at least a year ago and are selling their stuff to coffee shops around the area instead of operating their own storefront. it's just, like others have said, if that's what you think vegan desserts are like, no wonder you don't know how we survive! every spring my community garden has a big fundraiser that includes a bake sale, and i always bake at least three batches of vegan cupcakes. i noticed that this year a lot of people came around looking specifically for vegan things, which was awesome, and plenty of people will buy a cupcake because it looks pretty without looking at the ingredients, but some people stopped at my stuff, ooohhd and aaaahhd, and then said, "oh, vegan . . . i'm not sure i'm up for vegan," and bought the lame box-mix vanilla cupcake instead. i want to shout that it's cake, and it tastes like cake, but then i remember those terrible vegan options, and i have to wonder who's really to blame for the misconception.

_________________"rise from the ashes of douchebaggery like a fancy vegan phoenix" - amandabear"I'm pretty sure the moral of this story is: fork pants." - cq

i bought some pasta sauce from Kroger (normally i always make it myself, but i needed to save time this week)-- roasted red pepper and garlic-- and opened it today, tasted it, thought, "that's a funny flavor!", checked the ingredients, "romano cheese." omg! i NEVER do that! maybe my neighbors will eat it.

oh yeah - i noticed that last week. all the Kroger brand pasta sauces have cheese in them now. sadface!

i i noticed that this year a lot of people came around looking specifically for vegan things, which was awesome, and plenty of people will buy a cupcake because it looks pretty without looking at the ingredients, but some people stopped at my stuff, ooohhd and aaaahhd, and then said, "oh, vegan . . . i'm not sure i'm up for vegan," and bought the lame box-mix vanilla cupcake instead. i want to shout that it's cake, and it tastes like cake, but then i remember those terrible vegan options, and i have to wonder who's really to blame for the misconception.

I was at a show a few years ago vending. This lady made raw vegan stuff - not the best on most stuff and the girl next to me went home and FB "that vegan food was gross", I called her out on it & she deleted it...Not all vegan food is created equal! Like do people think all burritos are equal?

So there was a department appreciation pizza party thing at the job I'm doing now - which I HATE. There is another vegan who works there, and people know we are both vegan. There was mention the day before that they could order a cheeseless pizza - totally reasonable, right?I did not pack a lunch, just some snacks, because everyone made a bog deal about don't ring lunch, we're getting pizza. Surprise! There was no vegan pizza -even though they ordered from papa johns.Then someone asked if I wanted them to peel some cheese off a slice for me. No, just, no.I guess I usually spend my time in pretty accommodating spaces, so it didn't occour to me This was a likely scenario. Especially since this is a job where you spend the next 5 hours walking and don't necessarily have another chance to get food. It just seems mean.

Ugh, missing ingredients. I've been eating a vegan diet for 2.5+ years now and I still occasionally mess up and miss something on an ingredients label. The most recent one was pretty gross... normally I get the rooster sauce (Huy Fong) type sriracha, but the shop I was in didn't have it or was out or something, but I spotted another brand so got that instead. When I went home I used it and was like "Hmm, this tastes weirder than the kind we normally get, but I guess I have to use it up." I must have used it three or four times before my boyfriend looked at the label and was like "Uhhh... this has fish sauce in it." Bleehhhhtonguescraptonguescrape

Ugh, missing ingredients. I've been eating a vegan diet for 2.5+ years now and I still occasionally mess up and miss something on an ingredients label. The most recent one was pretty gross... normally I get the rooster sauce (Huy Fong) type sriracha, but the shop I was in didn't have it or was out or something, but I spotted another brand so got that instead. When I went home I used it and was like "Hmm, this tastes weirder than the kind we normally get, but I guess I have to use it up." I must have used it three or four times before my boyfriend looked at the label and was like "Uhhh... this has fish sauce in it." Bleehhhhtonguescraptonguescrape

Was it Lee Kum Kee?? I kid you not, this exact same thing happened to my (vegetarian) girlfriend just last week. They didn't have Huy Fong (@ WF, no less!), so she bought Lee Kum Kee. Noticed the weird taste, read the label and sure enough. Fish sauce. My mind was blown.

_________________Half the lies I tell are not true."luckily us vegans dont go into cardiac arrest...but we do go into food comas" - Adam Crisis

Ugh, missing ingredients. I've been eating a vegan diet for 2.5+ years now and I still occasionally mess up and miss something on an ingredients label. The most recent one was pretty gross... normally I get the rooster sauce (Huy Fong) type sriracha, but the shop I was in didn't have it or was out or something, but I spotted another brand so got that instead. When I went home I used it and was like "Hmm, this tastes weirder than the kind we normally get, but I guess I have to use it up." I must have used it three or four times before my boyfriend looked at the label and was like "Uhhh... this has fish sauce in it." Bleehhhhtonguescraptonguescrape

Was it Lee Kum Kee?? I kid you not, this exact same thing happened to my (vegetarian) girlfriend just last week. They didn't have Huy Fong (@ WF, no less!), so she bought Lee Kum Kee. Noticed the weird taste, read the label and sure enough. Fish sauce. My mind was blown.

i bought some pasta sauce from Kroger (normally i always make it myself, but i needed to save time this week)-- roasted red pepper and garlic-- and opened it today, tasted it, thought, "that's a funny flavor!", checked the ingredients, "romano cheese." omg! i NEVER do that! maybe my neighbors will eat it.

oh yeah - i noticed that last week. all the Kroger brand pasta sauces have cheese in them now. sadface!

But the Private Selection Organic one is still okay, right? (I know there are two of them, but only one was ever vegan.)

There is a restaurant here that is sort of vegan-friendly. They often have a vegan dessert and it is always terrible. My family has tried to convince me that I need to bring them some vegan desserts to show them how good they can be. One time my aunt asked them what they used instead of eggs and they said oil. What?

OK. So. With all of the stupid, annoying comments we seem to provoke, just by quietly going about eating the way we do, maybe we need a set of awesome and snarky comeback lines. There are lots already in this thread. about this: Next time someone says: "Vegan. Really? So what do you eat?" We say "Same stuff you eat. I just get it before it passes through the intestines of an animal first."

Wow, really? This is so completely snotty and unnecessary. I feel like a lot of vegans walk around thinking people don't like them for being different when the reality is that people don't like them because they are sanctimonious d-bags. Why don't you just give examples of awesome things you eat so you can educate that person? Or, as I suspect, is your veganism about feeling superior to others?

_________________"One time I meant to send a potential employer a resume, but I accidentally sent them a bucket of puke!

OK. So. With all of the stupid, annoying comments we seem to provoke, just by quietly going about eating the way we do, maybe we need a set of awesome and snarky comeback lines. There are lots already in this thread. about this: Next time someone says: "Vegan. Really? So what do you eat?" We say "Same stuff you eat. I just get it before it passes through the intestines of an animal first."

Wow, really? This is so completely snotty and unnecessary. I feel like a lot of vegans walk around thinking people don't like them for being different when the reality is that people don't like them because they are sanctimonious d-bags. Why don't you just give examples of awesome things you eat so you can educate that person? Or, as I suspect, is your veganism about feeling superior to others?

Well said. I often wonder why some vegans feel the need to have a million comebacks to people asking them things about veganism. Whenever people ask me questions i almost always sense a genuine interest. Other times I think they are just politely trying to make conversation, which to me is fine too.

THIS. If lactose makes you sick, how about drinking something that doesn't come from a cow? It's 2012, there are plenty of options.

I ordered a soy latté yesterday and the barista was all proud to tell me: "We have lactose-free milk now!" "Still comes from a cow," I answered with a smile. That shut her up.

(They even have a cute little chalkboard propped up on the counter that says: "Lactose-free milk now available!" I somehow managed to resist the urge to spit on it and wipe it with a napkin.)

This is the other post I wanted to comment on. Why ya gotta be like that? The barista obviously thought you were lactose intolerant and wanted TO HELP YOU, so why did you feel the need to "shut her up"? Not even gonna comment on the spit thing, because that is just...wow.

I think I need to stop reading this thread and go pet a cat or something.

_________________"One time I meant to send a potential employer a resume, but I accidentally sent them a bucket of puke!

I feel like a lot of vegans walk around thinking people don't like them for being different when the reality is that people don't like them because they are sanctimonious d-bags. Why don't you just give examples of awesome things you eat so you can educate that person? Or, as I suspect, is your veganism about feeling superior to others?

Well said. I often wonder why some vegans feel the need to have a million comebacks to people asking them things about veganism. Whenever people ask me questions i almost always sense a genuine interest. Other times I think they are just politely trying to make conversation, which to me is fine too.

I get what you're saying. :) I really like talking to people about veganism when they're genuinely interested. It's really exciting, actually. Sharing recipes, talking about ethics and my reasons for being vegan and so forth. :) And I think everyone on here has all the patience in the world for sincere, genuine interest. :)

However, (and that's what I tried to say with the trolling omni's comment above) at times there's just no genuine interest present at all. When people start asking me whether I would eat fish when I'd be stranded on a desert island sans veggies, it's something else entirely. I'm too polite to snark, but generally I do cut off conversations like this. I did not sign up for having the peas taken at my expense when I turned vegan. And I guess that people are more likely to share things about this type of encounters in a topic like this.

It gets tiring. This is a list of peeves, i think we're allowed to vent here.

I was at an event last night where i was the only person not drinking, and i didn't eat because nothing was vegan. A friend said something to a client that I was "the Mad-Eye Moody of the group" which made me wonder, did my wooden eye fall out? But NO, apparently the fact that it appears I only eat things I make, and drink tea from my own thermos, makes me mad-eye moody. That was new!! Kind of cute, actually.

I forgot but why do seafood restaurants in particular hardly ever have anything that is remotely vegan? I had to eat at one recently and when someone announced the restaurant, I wasn't too happy. We usually go to 1 of 2 restaurants that do have options for me but despite the fact that the group I was with only eats out together once or twice per year, someone wanted to mix it up. I ended up having a salad which was ok and I was kind of impressed by the variety of veggies on it.

_________________You are all a disgrace to vegans. Go f*ck yourselves, especially linanil.

THIS. If lactose makes you sick, how about drinking something that doesn't come from a cow? It's 2012, there are plenty of options.

I ordered a soy latté yesterday and the barista was all proud to tell me: "We have lactose-free milk now!" "Still comes from a cow," I answered with a smile. That shut her up.

(They even have a cute little chalkboard propped up on the counter that says: "Lactose-free milk now available!" I somehow managed to resist the urge to spit on it and wipe it with a napkin.)

This is the other post I wanted to comment on. Why ya gotta be like that? The barista obviously thought you were lactose intolerant and wanted TO HELP YOU, so why did you feel the need to "shut her up"? Not even gonna comment on the spit thing, because that is just...wow.

I think I need to stop reading this thread and go pet a cat or something.

I guess I wasn't in a very good mood when I typed this and came across as a childish, humourless bisque. (Fair enough, I probably am.) My apologies for causing you to leave this thread.

This is a thread about pet peeves, and the pet peeve expressed here was lactose-free milk. I genuinely don't understand why this nonsensical "product" even exists, and was dismayed that this café (which I often frequent) was trumpeting the fact that they now offer it, when they've had soymilk for years. Did the barista (who, by the way, has served me many and various soymilk-based drinks and is aware that I'm vegan) want to help me? Possible, but more likely she was following instructions from the boss to publicize the availability of lactose-free milk. She was smiling when offering it and I smiled back while answering. I should have expressed the intent behind my comment as "That gave her a piece of information to think about" rather than "That shut her up".

(For the record, the spitting thing was my attempt at a joke, which quite obviously failed miserably. I loathe spitting and would never even consider doing such a disgusting thing.)

Yeah, my stepmother used to make her own amazingly delicious soy milk but then lactose free milk became more available in Austria, so she switched to that. It was a bit sad because the fresh soymilk was SO GOOD.

I also agree with Paloma. There are definitely people who are interested, and I'm generally happy to talk about veganism to them, but there are also people who have zero interest in actually changing their diets and sometimes it gets tedious and emotionally hard to explain why I care about an issue. So many people will just toss off "Yeah, but I don't get why dairy is so bad, because they don't kill the animal." And then I go through the whole spiel about newborn babies ripped from their moms, and it really upsets me, and then they go "Yeah, but I could never give up cheese." And then they move on, but I am still upset. So because of that, if someone isn't really going to shift their diets, I sometimes just deflect and move on. Not to be rude, but because I am conserving my emotional energy if that makes sense.

_________________My oven is bigger on the inside, and it produces lots of wibbly wobbly, cake wakey... stuff. - The PoopieB.

Lactose free milk for those with lactose intolerance! I drank that in my pregan days because I have a bad enough lactose intolerance but then went back to soya milk because I could get it for half the price.

Sorry too. The comebacks thing was just a little fantasy, venting steam. Would never be that obnoxious in person -- at least not intentionally! I think a lot of the douchy comments we get from omnis come from their thinking that we think we are morally superior. I don't know any vegans who walk around with a morally superior attitude, but it's kind of like we get accused of it anyway. Maybe it creeps through in our behavior, or maybe it's other folks feeling insecure. Or some of both.